Displaying items by tag: Research

US: A research team from Lehigh University has won a three-year, US$2m grant from the Department of Energy's industrial efficiency and decarbonisation office for a project on concrete decarbonisation. The team, including Carlos Romero, director of Lehigh's Energy Research Centre, aims to develop a sustainable concrete binder using calcined clay, reducing emissions associated with Ordinary Portland Cement production. The project collaborates with Buzzi Unicem USA and focuses on processing and testing calcined clay to mimic the properties of conventional cement.

Lehigh's team will explore various low-grade calcined clays, supplied by Buzzi, testing their compressive strength and durability. The goal is to halve the CO₂ emissions of traditional concrete mixes.

Chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Shamim Pakzad said "I am excited about the expansion of the research portfolio of CEE departments into this area of greener cement, which opens many opportunities for future research and implementation in industry."

Sweden: Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, have developed a method to simplify the construction of textile-reinforced concrete structures, a move that is expected to lead to more environmentally friendly infrastructure like bridges, tunnels, and buildings. The new technique addresses the high carbon footprint of cement.

This innovation, involving carbon fibre textiles as a replacement for steel reinforcement, enables lighter structures with reduced cement usage, thereby lowering the overall carbon impact. Karin Lundgren, Professor of Concrete Structures at Chalmers Department of Architecture said "A great deal of the concrete we use today has the function to act as a protective layer to prevent the steel reinforcement from corroding. If we can use textile reinforcement instead, we can reduce cement consumption and also use less concrete, thus reducing the climate impact."

The research is detailed in a paper titled 'Textile reinforced concrete members subjected to tension, bending, and in-plane loads: Experimental study and numerical analyses', which was published in the Construction and Building Materials journal. The study, a collaborative effort between Chalmers University and Gdansk University of Technology in Poland, is supported by the Swedish Research Council.

UK: Heidelberg Materials' Ribblesdale cement works in Lancashire is participating in a pioneering study to assess the use of ammonia as a hydrogen source for fuelling cement kilns. This 12-month feasibility project, conducted in collaboration with engineering consultants Stopford and Cranfield University, has received funding from Innovate UK through its UK Research and Innovation fund.

The research aims to investigate ammonia as a potentially energy-dense, cost-effective hydrogen carrier for cement manufacturing and other industries. Building on Ribblesdale's successful demonstration of using hydrogen in a net-zero fuel mix for a cement kiln, the new project will focus on the most efficient methods for on-site 'cracking' of ammonia to release hydrogen as kiln fuel.

Marian Garfield, Sustainability Director at Heidelberg Materials UK, said “We have already proved the success of using hydrogen as part of a lower carbon fuel mix, but its storage and transportation are currently technically challenging and expensive. Ammonia could offer a more viable hydrogen source that enhances fuel usage and reduces CO₂ emissions. If successful, this project will pave the way for further investigations into the commercial viability of using ammonia as a hydrogen carrier for combustion in cement production and beyond.”

Mexico: Cemex has launched a new process called clinker micronisation, developed at its Research and Development Center in Switzerland. The method enables cement producers to lower the clinker factor of their cement by up to 50%, while maintaining its strength. It also offers the additional benefit of allowing concrete users to reduce the proportion of cement in their mixes.

CEO Fernando González said “We are finding new ways to boost our decarbonisation roadmap in the production of cement and concrete. We remain committed to achieving our ambitious 2030 decarbonisation goals on the path to becoming a Net Zero company by 2050.”

US: Eagle Materials has outlined its climate change mitigation successes in its 2023 Sustainability Report. During 2023, the company increased its production of blended cement products, including Portland Limestone Cement (PLC). It commenced a major CO2 reduction study with the US Department of Energy, and established a Greenhouse Gas Reduction Team to explore new clean technologies. Eagle Materials says that it is currently working to increase the use of alternative fuels at three of its cement plants.

US: The Department of Transportation has announced a US$5m initiative to investigate the use of steel slag in cement and concrete. This will take the form of a collaboration between the Department of Transportation and a selected US-based steel producer and university partner. The initiative seeks to reduce CO₂ emissions in the production of building materials. Prospective participants may view the grant opportunity here.

Transport secretary Pete Buttigieg said "We're proud to make this funding available to help develop the next generation of construction materials so that the future of our transport infrastructure is more resilient, more sustainable and made in America.”

Robert Hampshire, deputy assistant secretary for research and technology and chief science officer, said “This funding initiative will develop and advance innovative materials and technologies that support the nation’s goals to decarbonise the transportation sector by 2050, strengthen resilience of the nation’s transportation infrastructure, and address adverse environmental impacts created by the transportation system.”

Taiwan: Taiwan Cement Corporation has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with ThyssenKrupp Polysius. Under the MoU, the partners will implement carbon capture projects aimed at capturing 100,000t/yr (10%) of Taiwan Cement Corporation’s CO₂ emissions by 2030. This will involve the development of a new generation of pure oxygen carbon capture technology in Line 1 of Taiwan Cement Corporation’s Hualien Heping cement plant. This technology aims to increase the concentration of captured CO₂ to over 90% and reduce the energy consumption of carbon capture. The Hualien Heping plant project will conclude in 2026, with the commercialisation of the technology to follow before 2030. Taiwan Cement Corporation plans to supply its own captured CO₂ to various other industries, including industrial welding, chemicals and food processing.

Taiwan Cement Corporation chair Zhang Anping said "Cement has created the civilised society we live in today, and Taiwan Cement Corporation will continue to participate in energy transformation and support the development of future civilisation. This cooperation with Polysius, a golden brand in the cement industry, is to solve the problem of greenhouse gas emissions, creating the future not only for the cement industry but for the whole world."

Austria/Australia: RHI Magnesita has signed a deal with Australia-based carbon capture company MCi Carbon for the construction of a large-scale carbon capture plant at its Hochfilzen dolomite plant in Tyrol, Austria. Prior to construction of the large-scale system in Austria, the companies will partner to test and scale-up MCi Carbon’s technology at the latter’s Myrtle demonstration plant in New South Wales, Australia. The Myrtle demonstration plant will aim to capture 1000t/yr of CO₂.

RHI Magnesita CEO Stefan Borgas said "The partnership with MCi Carbon is forward-looking and their technological approach is particularly interesting because it combines carbon capture storage and carbon utilisation. This is currently the most promising way for the refractory industry to reduce process emissions."

MCi Carbon CEO of Marcus Dawe said "This investment marks a pivotal moment for MCi Carbon and underscores the trust our partners place in our transformative technology. With RHI Magnesita's support, we are poised to accelerate our global commercialisation efforts and address the challenges faced by heavy industries in achieving decarbonisation."

Attending the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, the company’s chief operating officer Sophia Hamblin Wang said "We call on global leaders to move beyond rhetoric and embrace tangible actions, fostering a climate-conscious, prosperous future. MCi Carbon’s technology proves that it is possible to decarbonise and create profitable business models at the same time. The support of RHI Magnesita accelerates our impact, amplifies our voice and solidifies our position as leaders in carbon capture and utilisation."

North America: A new coalition for the scaling and deployment of low-carbon building materials, the creation of new clean cement and concrete jobs and the promotion of environmental justice launched earlier in January 2024. Called the Decarbonized Cement and Concrete Alliance (DC2), it comprises alternative cement developers Biomason, Brimstone, Chement, Fortera and Terra CO₂, sequestration company Blue Planet Systems, circular concrete producer CarbonBuilt, biogenic limestone producer Minus Materials, hydrothermal processing technology developer Queens Carbon and electrified cement production technology developer Sublime Systems. DC2’s areas of engagement in policy will include tax credits, standards, ecolabeling and subsidisation, in line with the US Department of Energy’s Pathways to Commercial Liftoff: Low-Carbon Cement strategy.

CarbonBuilt’s government and community affairs manager Sal Brzozowski said “DC2’s platform of robust policy, standards and incentives to scale innovative solutions will not only accelerate deep decarbonisation, but also transform the concrete industry from one of the world’s largest CO₂ emitters to one of the world’s largest carbon sinks.”

UK: C-Capture has appointed Warren East as its new chair. East was previously CEO of automobiles producer Rolls-Royce and computing company ARM Holdings. C-Capture says that East will bring almost 40 years’ experience in commercialising innovative technologies to its own efforts to develop a scalable, modular model for carbon capture. East is a chartered engineer and holds an engineering degree from Oxford University and a CBE for services to engineering and technology.

C-Capture CEO Tom White said “I am absolutely delighted to announce that Warren will be joining us. His wealth of experience in commercialising novel technologies along with his commitment to the energy transition is a true asset to the company at a critical period in our growth. His expertise in successfully scaling and transforming businesses will be invaluable as we move forward with the commercialisation of our unique technology and expand our investor base.”

Warren East said “I am excited to be joining the team at this pivotal point and to work with the management to scale the business. C-Capture’s carbon capture technology has all the elements needed to break through the barriers currently preventing widespread adoption of this critical technology for the world to achieve Net Zero.”